


Regina's Boys

by soufflegirl123



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Family Feels, Gen, regina just wanted some peace and quiet, will scarlet needs a babysitter more than roland hood does
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-28
Updated: 2016-09-06
Packaged: 2018-07-18 18:42:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7326064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soufflegirl123/pseuds/soufflegirl123
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robin had some “business” to take care of. That was what he had told her one morning before placing a kiss on her cheek and giving her a wide grin. “Take care of Roland and the men for me until I return?” She had agreed without a second thought. Keeping check on a bunch of grown men and one sweet little Roland would be no trouble at all. Except for she had forgotten Will Scarlet was one of those men. </p>
<p>Or…the fic where Regina is determined to not let Robin down, and the Charmings are not the only people in town trying to raise an already grown child.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Regina couldn’t remember a time that she had ever been happier. For once the town was in a nice state of calm. Nothing was trying to kill anyone. Everyone’s hearts were where they were supposed to be. There was no wall or barrier around the town except for the new one placed to keep them safe and still allow travel in and out of the town by its residents. 

Best of all, her relationship with Robin was going along so sweetly that at times even she found herself nauseated by it all. While he still lived in the woods with his men and his son, Robin had taken to spending half his time in her home, often bringing along Roland with him. Some days he would even drop Roland off to spend some time with just Regina. She, Henry, and Roland had even gone on a few mother son outings together. 

Everything was going well, and that was why Regina was beginning to feel on edge. After all, she wasn’t entirely sure she had secured herself a happy ending yet regardless of what anyone else had to say about it. It was still too new. It didn’t feel real yet. Besides, even if she had secured herself a happy ending, their stories never consisted of perfectly calm middles. The town was overdue for some chaos. Despite all this, Regina decided to take what happiness she could and let the future handle itself. Well, she decided to do that while still studying up on some spells that could keep them all safe just in case. 

One morning after an evening of reading up on light magic and then a night filled with far more plesant activities, Regina was woken by Robin trying to quietly climb from their bed. 

“Where are you going?” she mumbled, keeping her eyes closed tightly against the sunlight flooding the window. 

Robin chuckled at her petulant tone and leaned over to kiss her forehead. “I was going to prepare us some coffee. Will you be joining, or would you like me to bring yours to you?” 

She grabbed onto his arm. “Neither. I want you to come back to bed, so we can both get some more sleep.” 

“I can’t, love. Remember, I leave in an hour.” 

Regina sighed and sat up, her memory returning to her as she brushed off the last remnants of sleep. “I guess I better join you for that coffee then.” 

With him dressed for his journey and her dressed in her warmest robe over her sleep clothes, they made their way downstairs. Roland, who tended to always be an early riser, bounded out of the room that Regina had decorated and filled with toys for his use. Roland looked adorable with his sleep ruffled hair and wearing the fox print pajamas Regina had bought for him. 

He reached up his arms, and with a laugh, Robin scooped him up and carried him the rest of the way down the stairs. They had settled into a routine. Robin, who had learned how to use the coffee machine rather quickly, was in charge of getting the beverages ready: a pot of coffee for them and hot chocolate for Roland and Henry on the mornings he was there. Regina meanwhile fixed the food. That morning was pancakes: simple and fast, so that they could have plenty of time to just sit and enjoy each other’s company. 

It was all quiet and domesticated and everything that Regina had ever truly wanted. She watched, unable to hide the smile on her face, as Robin cleaned the syrup from Roland’s face and reminded him to be good for Regina until he returned. 

“Are you sure this business of yours can’t wait?” Regina asked when he turned towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist. 

“I’m absolutely certain that this business cannot wait,” he assured her. “I won’t be long. It should take me no more than a week, maybe even less.” 

“And you won’t tell me what this business is about?” 

“I’m afraid secrecy is required for this one, at least for now. Once I return I will tell you all the details even if they bore you to tears.”

“I’ll see that you keep that promise.”

“Do you mind taking care of Roland and the men for me while I’m gone?” 

“I love spending time with Roland,” she assured.

“It’s more the men I’m concerned will be trouble.”

“I’m certain they’ll be no trouble at all,” she replied. Robin chuckled. 

“Well, I won’t argue with you.” He leaned in and kissed her, taking his time before reluctantly pulling away. “I’ll think of you ever day.” 

Then he was gone, and Regina was left with Roland staring up at her. She scooped him into her arms and glanced over at the clock. It was not even eight in the morning yet, but Regina knew that Roland would not be able to go to bed. Outside, snow was falling, promising a wonderful snow day for all of Storybrooke’s residents, and Regina thought of one activity that would keep them occupied indoors for at least a few hours. 

“So, Roland, would you like to help me bake some presents for all your father’s friends?” 

The boy’s grin was answer enough, and Regina placed him on a chair next to the sink where she could hover behind him. Handing him an apple to help her wash, she kissed the top of his head. “Let’s get to work then.” 

***  
Henry had helped her bake when he was little. It had been a tradition of theirs. Once a week, they would work together in the kitchen to create pies, cupcakes, brownies, or whatever treat they craved that day. Then everything had changed, and while Henry still helped her bake on occasion, the tradition had been put on a back-burner as their world seemed to be sent into chaos on a weekly basis. 

Baking the apple turnovers alone would have taken less time, but Regina loved how eager Roland was to help. She gave him little tasks: showing him how to measure ingredients, letting him pour things into the bowl, taking turns mixing everything, and then helping to scoop the fillings into the dough. The syrup that had covered him at breakfast was soon replaced with a coat of flour, and by the time the first round of turnovers were in the oven, the entire kitchen seemed to have been attacked by a baking monster. 

“Okay, you go wash up and get dressed. I’ll clean up in here.” 

“Yes, Mama Gina,” Roland replied while hurrying upstairs. 

Regina smiled and tried to ignore how her eyes still watered at the title Roland had recently given her. It wasn’t the first time he had called her that, but it was so new that Regina still got choked up by the words. When she thought about though, she wondered if she would ever get over how happy it felt to have another son. She used her magic to keep keep track of Roland, making sure that he was safe. He was more independent than most children his age thanks to having grown up among the Merry Men, but he was still just a small child. Making sure that Roland was far enough away to not see her, Regina quickly cleaned the kitchen with a little magical help. She would never let Henry or Roland see her use magic for such a menial task. She had a hard enough time getting them to clean their rooms as it was. 

With a once more spotless kitchen, and nothing left to do but swap out which turnovers were in the oven, Regina finally readied herself for the day. Then as they waited for the last batch of turnovers to finish baking, she and Roland read stories together and made plans for their snow day. It was all so peaceful and domesticated, even more so than it had been when it was just her and Henry and no magic. 

Turnovers in baskets with the littlest amount of magic to keep them warm, Regina and Roland bundled up and set out to visit the Merry Men with their baked goods. Too peaceful. She should have known that things could never just be perfectly peaceful. 

It didn’t happen right away. The turnovers were handed out, and the Merry Men convinced the two to sit and enjoy the treats with them. Then Regina slowly realized just what exactly was off about the picture. 

“Where is Will?” 

John looked around. “Haven’t seen him since yesterday. I wouldn’t worry though. He likes to go off on his own sometimes.”

While Regina had learned that to be true, she couldn’t help but feel that something was not quite right. She decided to not worry over the matter for the moment and just enjoyed the companionship she did have for the moment. Then her phone went off. 

“I’m sorry to bother you, Regina, but I did not know who else to call.” 

“What’s happened? Is Henry okay?”

“Henry’s fine. He’s with mom. It’s Will. Could you come to the station?” 

Regina sighed. “I’ll be right there.”

“Thanks, Regina. Normally, we would get Robin, but since he’s out of town…”

“I understand. It’s good that you called.” Regina ended the call. “Well, I’ve found Will,” she announced already getting up. 

“What’s the kid done this time?” John asked. “Do you need our assistance.”

“I’m not sure yet, but if it’s anything serious, I’ll let you know.” 

“Will you be taking Roland with you?” 

Regina thought it over. If the situation was serious, the last thing she wanted was for Roland to be put in a dangerous environment. “Could you watch him for a little while?” she asked even though she already knew the answer. The Merry Men typically were the ones to watch the little boy whenever Robin was away. She had only recently started looking after him on her own. 

“We’d be happy to watch him. He could use some more archery practice after all.” 

“I’ll be back for him as soon as possible.” She kissed Roland goodbye promising to return quickly and drove over to the station feeling both curious and annoyed. 

“What’s he done?” she asked as soon as she saw Emma. 

“Well, we’re not entirely sure that it was all his fault this time,” Emma explained. “He was at the Rabbit Hole last night, and he got into a fight with …well, a few people actually.” 

“Five of the Seven Raven brothers,” Killian supplied helpfully coming up beside her. His own face had a touch of bruising along the jawline. 

“Hook was there. He managed to break it up, or he at least kept Will from getting killed.”

Regina nodded her appreciation though she didn’t see why they had waited until nearly noon the next day to call her about it all. 

“The lad insisted he was fine after the fight.” And hearing Hook call Will “lad” was not exactly clearing up her confusion any either. As far as she was aware, the two of them barely tolerated each other and were only on good terms for Belle’s sake. Then again, she supposed it could be considered an insult in a way even if there was some truth to it. Will was the youngest of the Merry Men except for Roland after all. 

“Let me guess. He wasn’t fine.”

“Apparently not. We found him again this morning, passed out on the street.”

“Why is he in here instead of the hospital then?” Regina might not be close to Will, but she had to admit, he wasn’t so bad. Besides, Robin adored him even if he found him frustrating at times, and he would definitely not be happy if something serious happened to the young man. 

“We did take him. Dr. Whale checked over him. He’s bruised and banged up. He’s a little chilled as well. However, he’ll survive.” 

“Then why is he here?”

“He broke out of the hospital rather than signed himself out and was going to run off, but then he nearly passed out again. Technically, we can’t really hold him on anything except for maybe being a public nuisance.”

“I’m afraid I’m not really clear as to why you called me then or why you’re still keeping him here.”

“He’s too stubborn for his own good, and we figured he needed some convincing to not do something that would end up in his getting killed.”

“I see. Well, take me to him then.”

He did look pitiful. Regina could see why Emma had insisted on doing a bit more than her job called for. They had given him one of the spare blankets kept in the station, and he had it bundled around him as he sat locked in one of the cells. 

“You called Regina,” he moaned. She was starting to regret giving him permission to call her by her first name. 

“Yes, they called me. I heard you broke out of the hospital.”

“Because I’m fine,” he insisted. 

“Then you won’t mind going back, so that Dr. Whale can confirm that and give you actual permission to leave.” The look on his face was the same as when she grounded Henry. Behind her she could hear Killian and Emma chuckling in amusement as they watched the two interact.

“How about I just go back to camp and get some actual sleep,” Will suggested.

“You can do that after a trip to the hospital,” she assured him. “Now, you can be an adult and come along willingly, or I could give you some encouragement.”

“What if I pick neither of those options?”

“I’m sure Robin wouldn’t be happy to hear that.”

It took a long few moments where there was no noise except for the not so carefully concealed chuckles, and then Will sighed loudly. “Bloody hell,…fine. I’ll go with you.”

“Captain, help him to the car,” she instructed. 

“Thank you, Regina,” Emma said as they watched the men very slowly make their way out of the station and to Regina’s car. Apparently Will was a bit more sore than he wanted to admit. “He’s not the best self-preservation skills.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“Do you need any help with him?”

“No, I have the situation handled.” The week was turning out to be more eventful than she had planned, but it was still nowhere near as chaotic as it could have been. 

It was a quiet car ride to the hospital. Will squirmed in the passenger seat trying to find a comfortable position and failing. He also kept releasing annoyed sighs every few moments. 

“You sound like an angsty teenager,” Regina commented, and that at least got the sighing to stop for a short time. By the time they parked at the hospital, Regina had decided that if it was necessary, she would use her magic to keep Will from further injuring himself. 

As if he was reading her thoughts, Will cast a glance over at her. “Couldn’t you just use your magic to fix me?” 

“It doesn’t work like that,” she replied. True, she could heal a few of his minor injuries, but there was always a price to pay with magic use. Since his injuries were not serious, she did not feel the need to pay that price right then. Besides, he was beginning to sound stuffy, and one thing she had learned long ago was that magic had very little effect on nonmagical illnesses. “If you even think of running, I will make sure that you will end up stuck in a hospital for at least the next week.” 

“So you would use magic to give me more injuries but not fix the ones I already have?”

“Yes, that is exactly what I’m saying.”

She escorted Will into the hospital. Dr. Whale seemed pleased to have the man return. He quickly showed him to an exam room, and after being assured that there were no other ways in or out of the room, Regina stood guard outside the only door. 

When he was finished, Dr. Whale called Regina into the room and began listing off the injuries: black eye, scraped knuckles, bruised ribs, sprained ankle, numerous other bruises, mild hypothermia, and the start of a head cold. Will sat on the exam table, dressed in a spare set of scrubs and a robe pulled on top of those. His normal clothing which had been damp from his passing out in the street that morning were tossed in a pile in the corner. 

“Is that all?” Regina asked after Dr. Whale recommended that Will spend the day in bed drinking plenty of warm beverages and taking a few vitamin supplements to stave off the cold.

“There’s not much more that can be done right now.”

“Magic,” Will offered unhelpfully.

“No,” they both quickly replied. “It would most likely just make things worse,” Dr. Whale added. 

“Is he free to go?” Regina asked the doctor.

“As long as he follows orders.”

Regina turned to Will. “Let’s go then.”

Will at least waited until they were in the car to ask where they were going. “You know I have an apartment here,” he added.

“You had an apartment here. You’ve been staying the camp so long that someone else moved in.”

“What?!?” 

“You weren’t exactly paying rent on it. Besides, I don’t trust you to stay alone.”

“You think I need a nanny?” he asked incredulously and shivered. Regina reached into the backseat for the blanket they had borrowed from the station. 

“I know you need a nanny,” she replied and cranked up the car’s heat while Will wrapped himself up in the blanket.

Will’s eyes widened for a moment when he saw her turn in the direction of the forest, and he looked relieved. “Ah, yes, the Merry Men. Back to camp then? Perfect.”

“This is just a small detour,” she replied while parking. “It’s too cold for you to be recovering here. Now, do not get out of the car.”

She used a bit of magic to keep his seatbelt locked, and then climbed out of the car. John was the first to reach her. “How’s the kid?”

“He’ll be fine. He’s just got a little cold and needs to recover indoors.”

John seemed surprised by that. “Are you sure you can handle him and Roland? Will can be a handful.”

“Don’t worry. I think I’ve got the situation under control.” She gave a nod to where Will was unsuccessfully fighting with his seatbelt. “And I know that this is your vacation as well while Robin is gone.” With Robin out of town, the other Merry Men had planned their own time off that she knew involved drinking in the local bars and flirting with some of the locals. 

John laughed. “If you insist. If you do need us for anything, we’ll be here and around town. Just let us know.” 

“Thank you, John.”

Roland raced up to her. “Hello, Mama Gina!” he greeted and held up his arms for her to pick him up. She happily obliged and swung him up to rest on her hip. She said goodbye to the rest of the Merry Men and then carried Roland to the car to put him in his booster seat. 

“Uncle Will!” he exclaimed when he saw the man in the car. 

“That’s right! Uncle Will is going to stay with us for awhile because he has a cold.”

She was practically daring Will to disappoint Roland. The little boy was so excited that his fun ‘Uncle Will’ was staying at him that he was bouncing in his seat.

“Are you staying with us, Uncle Will?”

“Looks like it,” Will mumbled. 

Regina climbed into the car and smiled at Roland through the mirror. “What should we do first when we get home?”

“Cocoa and movies!” Roland exclaimed happily. 

“Did you hear that, Will?” Regina said with a sly grin. “Cocoa and movies.”

“Bloody Fantastic.”


	2. it's not even been two days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slow build to an actual plot that will just give me an excuse to write lots of Willwhump

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there are mentions of snakes and also Regina uses "obvious guilt" tactics to convince someone to do something for their own good. I'm not sure if I need to warn for those, but yeah, they're there.

Cocoa and movies ended up being the perfect way to spend a few hours. Regina did not even have to convince Will to sit down. She helped him limp his way inside to the living room where he immediately collapsed on the sofa. 

Roland, concerned for his uncle’s health, fussed over him as best as he could, taking one of the blankets Regina gave him and attempting to tuck Will in as tightly as possible. Will sat patiently and let Roland do as he liked. That was one of the reasons Regina could never quite be as hard on the man as he probably deserved. She had seen him with Roland too many times, always patient and cheerful and so seemingly unlike the thief that he proclaimed himself to be. 

“Take off your shoes and prop your ankle up,” Regina instructed. Once Will did as she ordered, Roland tried to straighten the blankets once more until Will scooped him up and planted on the sofa next to him. The move caused Will to wince, but he quickly plastered on a smile before Roland could notice. 

“Well then, you said we were watching a movie right? What movie would that happen to be?”

Regina left the two of them there while she made the cocoa. She knew that there was no way Will would try to run off when Roland was determined to watch him. The little boy was a far more effective guard than any magic could be. 

Roland had chosen a movie by the time she had finished their drink, and the three of them settled in to watch another of the Disney movies that the boy was currently working his way through. Roland always watched them fascinated. Meanwhile, Regina was just glad to have another person to discuss all the movie’s flaws with. 

“It didn’t happen that way at all,” Will mentioned casually as the genie on screen performed an extravagant dance number. “I always wanted to show Cyrus this one…” 

Comments about his past were not exactly a normal thing where Will was concerned, so Regina made sure not to show too much reaction to his words. They watched the entirety of the movie, and Regina cleaned up the empty mugs. “You can stay on the sofa for now,” she told Will. 

After movies was craft time. Crayons, glue, and glitter soon covered the coffee table as she showed Roland what the different items was for. 

“Didn’t think the queen would be the type to allow a mess,” Will commented and got handed a coloring book and pack of crayons as a poor attempt to keep him quiet. 

With her magic, Regina didn’t mind messes if it meant Roland and Henry were having fun. After all, when the boys stayed long enough they helped her to clean, but when they left early, she just poofed the mess away. 

“Is Henry coming?” Roland asked while pouring green glitter onto the tree he had drawn. 

“Yes, Henry’s going to have lunch with us,” Regina replied. 

“I suppose you’ll be dropping me off back at camp before then,” Will remarked hopefully. 

“I hope you like salmon,” was Regina’s only response to his comment. 

At lunchtime, Regina helped Will to limp to the table and prop his foot on a spare chair. Henry took in the new addition curiously at first then shrugged and started asking Roland about his day. As before, the day took on its calm, peaceful quality that both pleased and worried Regina. The calm before the storm. That’s what she was feeling, and she knew it. Storybrooke could never stay completely peaceful for too long. The thought continued to float in the back of her mind like an itch that couldn’t be scratched. After the mostly normal lunch, Will’s presence being the one abnormality, they even turned to video games for their entertainment. 

“You’re seriously playing as Princess Peach?” Regina asked when she noticed Will’s choice. 

“Hey, she’s good at the turns. Besides, it’s not like I picked Toad.”

“No one ever picks Toad,” Regina remarked as she flipped through to find the vehicle she best liked to use with Bowser. Henry, who had chosen Donkey Kong, rolled his eyes at their antics and offered Roland some advice about what vehicle to use with Yoshi. 

While MarioKart did get a little violent at points (Will had tossed a blue shell at Regina only once before he learned his lesson.), it still remained relatively tame. Close to dinner time, Henry left to return to the Charmings’. He, himself, in order to be as fair as possible, had worked out an alternating week system, and on the weeks that he lived with one mom he had lunches with the other. 

As he was leaving, Regina pulled him aside. “This is okay, right?” she asked. For so long it had just been the two of them, and even though there had been problems, the two of them had been comfortable with that kind of family. Even when Emma had come into their lives, Henry had remained the only child with a sudden addition of several more adults to smother him in attention. This was different. Suddenly there was Roland, and to an extent, there were boyfriends that while they also doted on him, they also took some of his moms’ attention away from him. 

“Is what okay?” Henry asked. 

“This whole situation. Is it okay that Roland’s practically living here?”

Henry’s eyes widened as he figured out what she was asking. “Did you think I would be jealous of Roland?”

Regina shrugged. “You’ve never really had any other children in your family before.” 

Henry laughed. “Mom, it’s fine. It’s great actually. I mean, yeah, sometimes I get a little jealous that I have to share you, but that’s just when I’m feeling jealous. I can’t be in two places at once after all, and it wouldn’t be fair of me to ask you to stop your own life and wait around for me. Robin and Roland make you happy, and I like having a little brother. I like how our family is growing.”

Regina smiled, feeling truly relieved for the first time all day. “I’m glad to hear that.”

“Though…” Henry started with a smirk on his face. “While I was expecting getting a little brother when you and Robin started dating, I wasn’t really planning on getting an older brother.”

“Wha…What?” Regina followed Henry’s gaze to where they could see Will still on the sofa, playing with Roland. “No, no,…you’re not getting an older brother, Henry. You just get a lot of Merry Men…That doesn’t sound much better actually,” The last sentence, she muttered under her breath.

Henry grinned. “Sure thing, Mom. Whatever you say.” Henry kissed her cheek. “I love you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Love you too,” she watched as he left and started walking towards the center of town where he was supposed to meet Emma for dinner at Granny’s. 

She walked back to den. “So…, are you taking me back to camp now?” 

“I was going to make lasagna for dinner,” she said. 

“After dinner works too,” Will said, looking very pleased with the dinner menu. 

Regina brought out some board games for Will to teach to Roland. “I do not want to catch you two playing any variation of poker, blackjack, or anything that is predominately associated with a casino,” she warned. 

“You have so little faith in me.”

“I have just enough,” Regina replied. Turning to Roland, she gave him a big smile. “Can you watch Will? If he tries to get off the sofa, you can just yell for me.”

“I will watch him,” Roland promised. 

As the pattern had been going, dinner went smoothly. After dinner, Regina sent Roland to wash up and get ready for bed. She helped Will to one of the restrooms and gave him similar instructions, grabbing some of Robin’s spare sleep clothes for him to change into. 

“I hadn’t planned on staying the night.”

“I hadn’t planned on having a guest,” Regina replied as they stood at the doorway of the bathroom. 

“You know I’ve been looking after myself for years,” Will pointed out. To be honest though, he was kind of enjoying the attention. It reminded him of Anastasia, Alice, and Cyrus. “So why are you doing all this?”

“Robin asked me to check in on all of you, and I promised him I would. You got injured last night, and you suffered from mild hypothermia earlier today. I think it’s best if you stay the night just to be sure that you don’t get worse. I’ll drive you back to camp right after breakfast tomorrow if it seems like you’re doing better.”

Will thought it over. It wouldn’t be so bad to sleep in a bed and wake up to breakfast that he didn’t have to pay for or go out in the cold to reach. Plus he would get to have breakfast with Roland which was nice because as sad as it was, the majority of his social life seemed to revolve around the little boy, especially with Robin being busy with Regina or saving the world lately and the rest of the Merry Men still a little sore about that one incident that happened one time. He really needed to find some mates closer to his own age. 

“What’s for breakfast?” he asked after some thinking. 

“French toast, poached eggs, and sausage,” Regina replied easily. 

“Yeah, okay. I guess I could stay for breakfast.”

“That’s what I thought.” She shoved the sleeping clothes towards him and motioned for him to go on into the bathroom. “Call me if you’re having an emergency,” she told him. She wanted to spare his dignity by trusting that he could navigate the bathroom routine without any supervision. She knew his ankle and ribs would make things difficult, but he should be able to manage fine. Just in case, she put up a magical field like she had done with Roland earlier that would alert her if Will suddenly passed out. 

She prepared the guest bedroom, using a little magic to freshen everything up. Luckily, domestic magic didn’t come at too much of a cost because she was pretty reliant on it. She tucked Roland in, reading him a story that starred none of Storybrooke’s residents, and found herself wandering around while she waited on Will to get out of the bathroom. 

When he emerged, dressed in Robin’s sleep clothes, he looked exhausted, but he was still stubborn about it. He started toward the couch, but Regina blocked his path. “I arranged the guest room for you to stay in tonight. I’ll help you to it.”

“That’s really not…” Poof. Regina smirked as he took in their new surroundings then plopped onto the bed. “It’s only nine,” he started to whine. 

“I brought pain pills.”That seemed an effective way of shutting him up. She handed him two of the pills and a glass of water. When he set the half-empty glass on the end table, she handed him a pile of books. “In case you get bored,” she told him. “If you need me then call for me,” she reminded him. 

Then she turned to leave. “Regina,” he called out. 

“Yes?”

“Thank you for all this,” he mumbled. “I probably wouldn’t have let you use magic on me anyway.”

“Oh.Why is that?”

“Let’s just say I have a lot of experience with the consequences of magic use, and I’m not really eager to repeat any of those experiences.”

That sparked Regina’s curiosity. She just gave him a nod though. “I’m glad you understand. Don’t try running off. You know Roland’s expecting you at breakfast, and you don’t want to disappoint him.” She was using guilt. She was still a little evil after all. 

Will gave her a smirk. “Well, I wouldn’t want to disappoint Roland.” 

Regina retired to her own room after an hour of catching up on some work and decided to do some reading. While she loved Robin very much, she also kind of enjoyed being able to sit in the middle of her large bed without worrying about how much space she was taking up. Also, Robin tended to sleep much earlier than she did, so it was nice to be able to stay up without worrying that she would wake anyone. The peaceful atmosphere of the house was nice, but Regina could feel the doubt creeping up once again. She put down the novel she had only half been paying attention to and slipped out of her bed. She peeked in on Roland and was relieved to see he was still fast asleep in his bed with his arms wrapped around one of the many stuffed animals that were piled around him. Then she tried to stealthily check in on her guest which was a little more difficult to do considering he himself was a thief and less likely to sleep through his door opening and shutting than Roland was. It seemed the pain pills had helped to knock him out as he was sprawled across the bed with drool running down his chin. 

Satisfied that she was just being paranoid, Regina turned to head to her room. That was when she felt it. Something powerful had just appeared in Storybrooke, and whatever or whoever it was did not feel friendly. Her phone buzzed, and she quickly answered. 

“Tell me that there’s not someone trying to kill us all again, Miss Swan.” 

“Wish I could,” she replied. “But from the screaming I’m hearing, I don’t think that’s true.”

“Where’s Henry?” 

“I’m sending him to Belle. Gold gave her that enchanted barrier awhile ago, and it’s the safest place for him to be other than with one of us.”

“Bring both of them here,” Regina instructed. “If the problem is coming from the center of town, we’ll want them away from it. I’ll set up an extra barrier as well.” 

It took only a few moments for Emma to poof into Regina’s house with not only Belle and Henry but also baby Neal as well. “Mom asked me to bring him as well,” she explained. Regina nodded. She was a little surprised that Snow had trusted her barrier to protect Neal, but the two of them had been developed an understanding of sorts lately. 

“Roland and Will are asleep upstairs,” Regina told her, making it clear exactly how many people were supposed to be in the house. 

“Will? Will Scarlet?” Belle asked with wide eyes. 

“That would be him.”

Belle flushed fiercely, and Regina suddenly remembered the rumors going on about the two of them while she and Rumpel had been going through one of the off periods. Regina knew that while Will had liked Belle at least as a friend, the two of them were far from being true loves. Thanks to Robin, she knew all about Will’s true love, or at least enough to know that he was not going to be moving on soon. Hopefully, Belle didn’t think too much of it either, because the last thing they needed in the middle of an emergency was the added factor of relationship drama. 

“If he wakes up, don’t let him leave. He’s supposed to be recovering in bed.” 

Belle nodded. “I understand. Don’t worry. We’ll all be safe here.” 

Emma looked to Regina. “Ready?”

“Whenever you are, Miss Swann.” 

The two of them used their magic to return to the center of town once more only to find that the streets were overrun with snakes. Emma squirmed uncomfortably, much to Regina’s amusement. “My magic’s not working to get rid of them,” Emma proclaimed. Regina tried her own, but as soon as she vanished a group of the snakes, more appeared in their place. 

“We’re dealing with someone powerful,” she muttered. “We’ll have to stop this at the source.” 

“Mom! Dad!” Emma called out, waving to where the Charmings were ushering people into nearby buildings while trying to keep the snakes from following them. “Can you handle getting everyone to safety on your own?” 

“We’ve got this,” David promised, slashing through one of the snakes with his sword. 

“Do what you need to, Sweetie!” Snow replied as she used an arrow to repeatedly stab into some snakes that were getting too close to the door. 

“Need an assist, Swan?” Hook shouted from where he using both his hook and sword to slash at the snakes as he led some people through the snakes to the diner. A quick glance inside revealed that Rumpel was reluctantly helping Dr. Whale treat some of the people who had been bitten. It appeared that they had that area covered. 

“Stay here and help my parents,” she yelled back. Hook nodded. “Can you get a sense of where this is coming from?” 

Regina had already been scanning the area. “The clock tower, of course. They’re getting too obvious.” They tried to teleport into the tower only to find a barrier. 

“Looks like we’re taking the steps,” Emma muttered as both of them focused on getting past the magical lock on the door. A snake curled around her leg, and she bit out a curse as she tried to shake it off. Regina snapped her fingers, causing the snakes closest to them to be forced back. 

“Concentrate, Miss Swan,” she reminded her. “I won’t let you die from a snake bite.” 

Using their magic together, they broke past the magical lock and raced up the stairs. A figure, hidden under a dark cloak, stood staring out of the window to observe the chaos below. 

“You!” Emma shouted. “Stop!”

The figure chuckled. “This is just a warning. Give back what’s mine or real danger will come.” 

“Well, you need to tell us what exactly we’ve taken if you want it back.” 

The figure turned around. The hood of his cloak fell back to reveal a wicked smile and glowing eyes. “Give me back my wishes or pay the price. I’ll return tomorrow eve. Be ready for me.” Both Emma and Regina, acting only moments too late, had to watch as he vanished out of the tower in a cloud of smoke.

“Call a town meeting. We need to see if anyone knows what’s going on.”


	3. Shortie Chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone in town might have some answers as to who's causing all the trouble.
> 
> A short chapter to try to make up for the fact that I've been sporadic in my posting lately. Sorry, loves, new schedule has me frazzled. Will try to update more often in the future.

Emma arranged the meeting while Regina poofed back to her home to check on everyone there.For once, Regina was happy that Robin was away. It meant he was safe from the newest Storybrooke threat. At least she hoped he was safe. He had promised that his business involved helping out an old friend with a personal problem, and that there would be no danger at all unless you counted a few hangovers. 

At the house, Belle was reading quietly to baby Neal, who was cooing calmly in her arms. The novel she was reading was far too advanced for the baby to understand, but it was the tone that mattered. Regina knew from experience. One night when Henry had been a particularly fussy baby, she had ended up reading a contract to him, and he had gurgled happily for the entire thirty minutes it took her to make her way through it. 

Now her baby was a teenager, sprawled across the couch, mouth open, and a small trail of drool making its way down his chin. Apparently his fencing and horseback riding lessons with David that day had been enough to wear him out despite his normally curious nature. She also knew he had started sailing lessons with Killian recently, and to her relief, the pirate had insisted that first Henry prove his swimming skills before they ventured too far out into the ocean again. Overall, Henry’s days were filled with enough to knock him out before ten most nights.

“Ah, Regina, is everyone okay?” Belle asked when she noticed the queen’s presence.

Regina gave a tired nod. “For now,” she replied. “Whale and Rumple are taking care of anyone who was bitten by the snakes, and Miss Swan is assembling everyone to try to get as much information as possible.” 

It was impossible to miss how proud Belle looked at the mention of Rumple doing something to actually help the community. Then she froze. “Snakes?” 

“The whole town was overrun with them.”

Belle frowned. She seemed neither frightened nor disgusted. That was one of the things Regina actually liked about her. She didn’t waste her time. “That’s strange.” 

“Do you know anything?” 

“I’ve heard of a few stories concerning snakes. What else can you tell me?” 

Regina quickly filled Belle in on the details. With anyone else, she probably would have considered it a waste of time and told them to wait until he meeting. Telling Belle information though was the fastest way to get more information. 

Belle listened intently without interrupting too often except to get more clarification on certain things. When Regina finished, she studied the other woman. “Do you think you could find anything?”

“I believe so. Do you want me to stay here until after the meeting?” 

“It would be better if you could look into the situation more.” Regina mulled over what to do. Henry might be old enough to stay on his own, but it was too much to ask him to watch a newborn baby and a five year old child as well throughout the night. She had a strong feeling that Will wasn’t up to babysitting at the moment either. Either way, Henry could definitely not protect against a magical force, and with the shape he was in, Will would not be much protection either. She momentarily regretted not convincing Emma to hold the meeting in her office as Snow had done before, but she hated the idea of all of them entering her home for many reasons. The main one was that whoever it had been could easily be hiding among the residents. Plus most of the people had already been assembled at Granny’s or nearby as it was. Somehow the diner had become the place everyone ran to when there was danger. It was actually quite ridiculous considering how unprotected the place was. 

“Killian still has his room at Granny’s inn, right above the restaurant,” Belle pointed out helpfully. “They would be close enough for you to keep an eye on them.” 

“Yes, let’s do that then.” Concentrating on the people in her house, she then imagined them in Killian’s bedroom. She could only hope that he was too busy with the current matters at hand to be doing anything scandalous with the sheriff right then. Within a moment, they all appeared in Killian’s thankfully empty room at Granny’s. Will landed in the bed, still sleeping a very drugged sleep, and Roland landed next to him, clutching a stuffed fox in his arms. Henry landed in the empty recliner. With a small amount of magic, Regina had the recliner lean back to where Henry would be comfortable. Belle gracefully remained on her feet, holding the baby clutched to her chest. Only then did Regina feel comfortable joining the others in the diner.

Belle handed off Neal to Snow, who looked relieved to have him back in her arms. Then she and Rumple left to go to the library. Thankfully with the disappearance of the strange man had come the disappearance of the snakes as well.

“Henry?” Emma asked.

“Upstairs in Killian’s room.” Killian looked a little too pleased that Regina had used his actual name, so she quickly followed up her remark. “Roland and Will are up there as well.” Killian’s scowl at the mention of the thief evened things out.

Certain that for the moment everyone was safe, Regina and Emma quickly filled in the town on what was happening, or at least the residents of Storybrooke who had packed into Granny’s diner which was a good portion of them. 

“Maybe we should have held this meeting at city hall,” Emma muttered. 

“Too late now, Miss Swan.” 

Emma explained the situation quickly, wanting to avoid any unnecessary drama that tended to happen whenever Regina gave an explanation. When she got to the man’s words, she slowed down. 

“He mentioned that someone had stolen his wishes. Does anyone have any idea what he could mean by wishes?” 

“He’s talking about me,” Leaning heavily against the doorway, still dressed in the sleep clothes he had changed into a few hours earlier, was the knave. “Unless someone else here happens to have some wishes on hand, then the ones he’s talking about are probably mine.” 

“Will,” Regina hissed, already making her way over to him. Everyone else was murmuring together. Emma held up her hands and tried to quiet the crowd by assuring them they could handle the situation from that point. 

“You’re supposed to be resting,” Regina reminded Will when she reached his side. He looked even paler than earlier, and small lines of pain were visible around his eyes. 

“I woke up in a strange place, and then I hear there’s some meeting about a man trying to get back some stolen wishes. It’s kind of hard to play oblivious. What’s been happening while I was out?”

Despite Emma’s attempts, the crowd wanted more information. “Who’s after you then?” “Would he hurt the rest of us?” “What exactly do the wishes do?” Will would have been bombarded by the crowd if not for Regina’s sheer intimidating presence keeping them from stepping closer. The queen exchanged looks with Emma. 

“We will be discussing things with Will. In the meantime, I encourage you all to head back to your own homes,” the sheriff quickly tried to do crowd control. Thankfully, David, Snow, and Killian all joined in as well, and Regina took the opportunity to drag Will away from the crowd and back upstairs to Killian’s rented bedroom that Regina was almost entirely sure was being used only for when he and the sheriff needed alone time and didn’t want to go all the way to the ship. 

“What were you thinking?” Regina scolded as she helped him up the stairs and onto the bed, casting a quick silencing spell to keep them from disturbing Henry and Roland. 

“That the villain of the week is probably after me?” 

“And you thought everyone should know about it? What if he had been disguised in the crowd?” 

“We outnumbered him. Safest time for him to attack me really. Just would have to jump behind the nearest bystander and bet on the fact that you guys would stop him.”

“I’ll remember that in the future,” Emma remarked as she came up behind them. “Who exactly do you think this guy is?” 

“It’s most likely going to be someone from Wonderland, but the list is still long. I might have made a few enemies during my times there.”

“I have no trouble believing that.” Killian added as he joined them. 

Will rolled his eyes. “A description would give me more to go on,” he added looking pointedly at Regina. 

“I can do one better,” Regina replied. “Miss Swan, tell me you’ve kept one of the dreamcatchers here.” 

Killian was already crossing the room and pulling one out of the closet. “We’ve them everywhere now.” He handed the object over to Regina. A quick spell later and Regina was showing Will the mysterious figure they had seen in the clock tower. 

Will grew considerably paler as he took in the sight, so much that Killian even stepped up behind him and pushed down on his shoulder hard enough to get him to sit on the edge of the bed before he fell to the floor. Will had been prepared to see several people staring back at him. His first idea had been Jafar. However, the person he was starting at had never even passed his mind when he had heard an enemy was in town. 

He licked his lips and released a shaky breath. “Cyrus?”


End file.
